A Tracy Chapman revival is going on right now.
With Chapman’s Grammy performance of her 1988 hit, “Fast Car,” the single is number 2 on iTunes and Luke Combs’s version is number 4. On the album charts, the Chapman album of the same name is number 1, and Chapman’s Greatest Hits collection is number 4.
The Grammys have also sent Miley Cyrus’s Record of the Year award winner “Flowers” back to number 1 on the singles chart. Three different versions of Joni Mitchell singing “Both Sides Now” have hit the top 30. Fans may not know about the original single, by Judy Collins, from 1969.
The number 3 single is Billy Joel’s “Turn the Lights Back On,” which Joel played last night on the show. “You May Be Right” and “Piano Man” are also on the iTunes charts. Fans also went looking to iTunes for Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.” But Annie Lennox should have been allowed to finish the song. She was cut off too soon.
The Grammy show wasn’t perfect but it gets mostly high marks.
As for Tracy, you may not know this but she was discovered by Brian Koppelman, who went on to co-create “Billions” and movies like “Rounders.” Brian saw Tracy playing in Boston and got her to his father, the late great music man Charles Koppelman, and the rest is history!
There were so many big moments on the Grammys, it’s hard to know where to start. Joni’s reading of “Both Sides Now” was incredibly poignant after everything she’s endured healthwise. Fantasia took down “Proud Mary” in a fiery performance. Billy’s “Lights” lit up the stage. Burna Boy and co. were exceptional.
There were some misses. Janelle Monae was nominated for Best Album and never even mentioned. What was that all about? None of the nominees for Best New Artist were featured, especially Jelly Roll — he should have been front and center. Why did they choose “The Best is Yet to Come” for Stevie Wonder to sing about Tony Bennett? Tony is dead, the best has come and gone.
Overall the show was strong, though. We’ll see soon about the ratings. Meantime, the Academy might have done more to prepare for the monsoon rains engulfing the Crypto Center. The red carpet was incredibly soggy, and entree to the arena was not easy.
PS Meryl Streep has certainly taken to son-in-law Mark Ronson’s fame. She looked amazing on stage. But earlier in the day, Streep lost her Grammy contest for Best Spoken Word performance to Michelle Obama. No EGOT for Meryl this year!
